Protective cups and other devices are typically used to protect a user's groin region, e.g., the user's crotch area, pubic bone and genitals, during the performance of sports, physical activities or non-athletic occupations and activities. Protective cups are used by male and female adults as well as children. Typically, a protective cup protects the user during activities in which that user may be susceptible to impacts to the groin region. The protective cup typically covers a user's genitals, for example, such that the user's genitals are positioned inside the protective cup and an impact to the protective cup is absorbed by the area around the user's genitals rather than the user's genitals themselves.
Certain users have inserted a protective cup into a pair of shorts or pants without a jock with the protective cup may be free standing from the shorts or pants. Typically, the shorts or pants do not hold the cup firmly and tightly against the user's body. The non-secured cup may cause the cup to move relative to the user's genitals, which may result in serious injury and pain for the user.
Typically, an athletic supporter or jock holds a protective cup to protect a user's groin region from impacts. A jock typically includes an elastic waistband and two elastic jock straps. Each jock strap may extend from the waistband, around one of the user's legs, and connect to a pouch. Typically, the pouch connects to the waistband and holds the protective cup against the user's body (e.g., the user's groin region). The elasticity of the waistband and jock straps generally position the pouch and cup to protect the user's groin region.
Athletic support shorts, such as compression shorts, are an alternative to jocks with jock straps. Athletic support shorts may position a protective cup over a user's groin region without the use of jock straps. Some users find athletic support shorts to be preferable to jocks based on personal taste or the activity at hand. Typically, athletic support shorts include a closeable pouch that generally positions a protective cup relative to the user's groin region.
During some activities, such as the performance of sports (e.g., combat sports), existing jocks and athletic support shorts fail to provide sufficient support to secure the protective cup relative to the user's groin region. That is, known jocks and athletic support shorts do not provide sufficient support to maintain the positioning of the protective cup during certain activities. For example, in martial arts, wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts or any other vigorous activity, impact to the genital area may move or push the protective cup out of position relative to the user's groin, thereby increasing the user's vulnerability to impact. When the user performs these activities, movement by the user may cause the protective cup to become dislodged or displaced from its proper positioning relative to the user's groin.
When the protective cup is dislodged from its proper positioning relative to the user's groin, the user becomes susceptible to risk of injury. Movement of the protective cup may cause the cup edge to contact the user's genitals or cause the cup edge to be in direct contact with the user's genitals rather than the appropriate surrounding area, which may cause considerable injury and pain to the user. Oftentimes a displaced protective cup may not be effective in reducing the potential for injury, and may actually increase the potential for injury to the user.